Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, May 30: A deputation of West Pakistan Refugees Action Committee led by its President, Labha Ram Gandhi today called on Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances , Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh and sought his intervention for redressal of their long pending issues and grievances.
They said, they have come to the Union Capital to elicit support for their demands and had great expectations from the present State Government in Jammu & Kashmir because BJP happens to be a part of the coalition. They also handed over a detailed memorandum to Dr Jitendra Singh.
Dr Jitendra Singh gave them a patient hearing and said that both the Central as well as the State Governments are committed to ensure that the West Pakistan refugees get all the benefits and privileges which they have been denied over the last six decades. He said, the Government will also explore the feasibility of setting up an exclusive nodal cell or welfare board for dealing with issues related to refugees.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said, this is a unique and rather an unflattering example in the entire world that even after 66 years of independence, a section of population in a democratic country continues to be deprived of its legitimate rights. BJP, as an organization, has always consistently fought for the cause of West Pakistan refugees even when it was not in power, he added.
Referring to different groups of refugees in Jammu & Kashmir, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, besides West Pakistan refugees, the State also has refugees from Pak-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK), displaced Kashmiri Pandit community and refugees uprooted in the aftermath of Indo-Pak wars or terrorism. He said, each of these groups of displaced persons has its different set of peculiar grievances and requirements, and the government is working on a plan to separately address the respective issues related to each of these groups.
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